Generally, to fabricate a corrugated steel plate structure, which has been variously used as a material of an underground passage, an irrigation channel, a drain, an embankment cell, a bank revetment drain, a roof, or a warehouse, a plurality of steel plates having predetermined thickness and width are bent and formed into various shapes, and are assembled with each other in an axial direction to form a tunnel shape.
When the size of a desired corrugated steel plate structure is small, one corrugated steel plate which has been subjected to a bending process may be used. However, when the size of a desired corrugated steel plate structure increases, a plurality of corrugated steel plates, which have been separately subjected to respective bending processes with high bending ratios, are used such that the steel plates overlap and are assembled with each other through an assembly process, such as a bolting process, at the construction site, thus producing a desired structure.
Further, in an effort to increase the load carrying capacity of a thin steel plate by evenly distributing a load or shock, which is applied to the thin steel plate in a side direction, a latitudinal direction, a longitudinal direction or any direction, to surrounding areas, the thin steel plate is preferably subjected to a crimping process, thus forming a corrugated steel plate having alternating furrows and ridges.
To construct a structure using the above mentioned corrugated steel plates, the ground on which the structure is supported is dug to a predetermined depth for laying the foundation. After laying the foundation, molds and reinforcing bars are arranged. Thereafter, anchors and a channel are laid, and concrete is placed prior to curing the concrete. After the concrete has been completely cured, the molds are removed from the channel.
After removing the molds from the channel, a plurality of first corrugated steel plates is fixed in the channel using locking members, such as bolts and nuts, such that the lower ends of the first steel plates are perpendicular to the channel. Thereafter, second corrugated steel plates are bolted to the first corrugated steel plates at locations between the first corrugated steel plates, thus forming a desired corrugated steel plate structure.
However, the conventional corrugated steel plate, constituting the corrugated steel plate structure, is produced through a crimping process, in which a thin steel plate is crimped to form alternating furrows and ridges that extend parallel to each other. Thus, when the corrugated steel plate is used in a short structure, the corrugated steel plate may be successfully used. However, when the corrugated steel plate is used in a long structure having a span of at least 15 m, the corrugated steel plate structure has a reduced longitudinal sectional area. Thus, the resistance of the structure against the compressive force is reduced, and thus part of the structure may be easily broken.
To solve the above mentioned problems, H-beams or ribs may be installed outside the corrugated steel plate, thus reinforcing the structure. However, to install an H-beam or a rib outside a corrugated steel plate, the H-beam or the rib is suspended over the corrugated steel plate using a crane, and workers must conduct manual work, such as bolting work, thus being excessively time-consuming and expensive. Further, because the corrugated steel plate has a reduced longitudinal sectional area, the same problem as that described above occurs.
In addition to the above?mentioned techniques, another technique has been proposed and used, in which a mold is installed along the outer surface of a corrugated steel plate structure and concrete is placed inside the mold, so that the placed concrete cures to form a reinforcement liner, which increases the sectional area of the corrugated steel plate structure and prevents partial breakage of the corrugated steel plate. However, the technique is problematic in that the mold is configured as an integrated structure in the same manner as the corrugated steel plate structure, and thus excessive time is required to produce, store, transport, and install the mold and remove the mold from a liner and, furthermore, the removed liners cannot be reused.